U.S. Attorney Stephanie Finley Recognizes 42 Local, Parish, and State Law Enforcement Officers for Their Support of Project Safe Neighborhoods Program

LAFAYETTE, LA—Western District of Louisiana U.S. Attorney Stephanie A. Finley recognized 42 local, parish, and state law enfocement officers and prosecutors in Lake Charles, Louisiana today for their support of the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program and for their work in helping to get violent offenders off the street.

Ms. Finley recognized the law enforcement leadership who were also present. They included Lake Charles Mayor Randy Roach; Lake Charles Police Chief Donald Dixon; Calcasieu Parish Sheriff Tony Mancuso; Vernon Parish Sheriff John S. Craft; Westlake Chief Administrative Officer Lonnie Smart, for Westlake Mayor Dan Cupit, who could not be in attendance; Westlake Police Chief Michael Dickerson; DeQuincy Police Chief Michael Suchanek; Sulphur Mayor Christopher Duncan; Sulphur Police Chief Lewis Coats; Calcasieu Parish District Attorney John DeRosier; ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Robert J. Schaal; ATF Special Agents Lawrence Goldsmith and Robert Bodin; Lafayette FBI Senior Supervisory Resident Agent Hall Jones; and FBI Special Agent Ed Reed. The cases recognized involved violent offenders in Sulphur, Lake Charles, Westlake, and Vernon Parish. Their incarceration time ranged from eight years to life in prison. The cases were prosecuted in both federal and state courts.

Project Safe Neighborhoods is a nationwide program begun in 2001 and designed to reduce violence in our communities by aggressively enforcing existing federal firearms laws. United States Attorneys, District Attorneys, sheriffs, police chiefs, and state officials have created partnerships to reduce gun violence through education, prevention, and law enforcement activities. Generally, any arrest involving a firearm is reviewed immediately by local, state, and federal authorities to decide whether the case is best suited for prosecution under state or federal law or a combination of both. PSN has led to long prison terms for violent criminals and a significant reduction in violent crime. To date, federal prosecutions under PSN in the Western District of Louisiana have resulted in the incarceration of criminals responsible for violent crimes such as homicides, aggravated assaults, drug trafficking, robbery, carjacking, and burglary. Since its inception in 2001, approximately $2 billion has been committed to this nationwide initiative.

U.S. Attorney Finley stated, “The men and women recognized today put their lives on the line every day to keep our neighborhoods safe. In the Western District of Louisiana, we have a great working relationship between the federal, state, and local agencies to get violent offenders off the streets. As the U.S. Attorney, I recognize that my office does not do this alone. It’s a herculean task that can only be accomplished through the collective efforts of these partnerships, which leads to the incarceration of these offenders. The recognition of these officers and prosecutors is just a small way to say thank you for the hard work that they have done to keep our communities safer, and it is well deserved.”

The following individuals were recognized at today’s ceremony held at the Lake Charles Police Department.

Lake Charles Police Department

• Cpl. Keith Bryan Bertrand
• Evidence Tech Karri Douget (formerly with Lake Charles Police Department)
• Det. Corporal Kirt Lane Farquhar
• Cpl. Dustin Gordon Fontenot
• Evidence Tech Jennifer Elaine Hoffpauir
• Cpl. Kevin Glenn Hoover
• Cpl. Christopher Lee Johnson
• Sgt. Jeffrey Ryan Keenum
• Cpl. Jason Clay Landreneau
• Lt. Ray Laviolet (retired)
• Cpl. Aandrea Delisa LeLeaux
• Cpl. John Lloyd Loftin
• Lt. James Patrick Milner
• Sgt. Jeffrey Alan Morgan
• Cpl. Harold James Nevels, Jr.
• Cpl. Kevin O’Rourke
• Evidence Tech Carmen Papillon (formerly with Lake Charles Police Department)
• Cpl. Dwayne Allen Petroski
• Sgt. Phillip “Phil” Robertson
• Det. David Rupf
• Cpl. Joe Edward Savoie
• Cpl. Gregory Alan Single
• Sgt. Gary Lee Sonnier
• Sgt. David James Streva
• Cpl. Colby Thompson
• Sgt. Billy Eugene “Buddy” Toten
• Sgt. Charles Eric Welch

Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Department

• Lt. Robert Broussard
• Sgt. Roy Malone
• Lt. Billy Chapman
• Lt. Gerald Pittman
• Sgt. John Dugas
• C.A.T. Team (Combined Anti-Drug Team and Narcotics Task Force)

Vernon Parish Sheriff’s Department

• Det. Ray Ortiz

Sulphur Police Department

• Sgt. Trent Hanson
• Sgt. Troy LeBleu
• Patrol Officer Kenneth Wall

Westlake Police Department

• Cpt. Jack Bartlett

Louisiana State Police

• Trooper First Class Robert Soileau
• Trooper First Class Brian Thierbach
• Sgt. Martin Zaunbrecher

Calcasieu Parish District Attorney’s Office

• ADA Jonathan Blake
• 1st Asst. DA Cynthia Killingsworth